Today, many consumers purchase shoes, insoles, and other footwear items based on looks or feel, rather than the combination of a shoe and insole being a good anatomical fit for the consumer. If a consumer goes into a retail store to purchase shoes or other footwear, the consumer's ability to select a proper shoe and/or insole is generally limited by the consumer's limited knowledge about feet, shoes, insoles, and the relationship between them. Typically, a consumer tries on a few pairs of shoes and selects the pair that feels the most comfortable. However, many consumers may not know what a long-term functional and comfortable shoe or even an anatomically compatible shoe/insole feels like.
Sometimes consumers obtain advice from sales workers to select a shoe or insole. But the worker's efforts are typically only as good as the feedback they receive from the consumer. Since the worker cannot see the interaction between the foot, shoe, and insole, the worker relies on the consumer to tell them how the shoe is fitting. The worker may ask questions, such as “is the shoe comfortable,” “is the shoe too tight,” or “how does that feel.” These questions are rather vague and can lead to vague answers. Since most consumers may not know what a properly functioning, comfortable shoe is supposed to feel like, they may not be able to give accurate feedback as to how the shoe is actually fitting. So, the ability of the worker to suggest a proper shoe or insole for a consumer is often reliant on unreliable information from uninformed or misinformed consumers. This fitting problem is often compounded when consumers purchase shoes and/or insoles online because the consumer doesn't have the opportunity to try on the shoes or insoles. Thus, it is with respect to these considerations and others that the invention has been made.